The country’s geographic location means that there are predominantly wet seasons on the Atlantic coast and alternating wet and dry seasons on the Pacific side. This mix of weather systems throughout the country contributes to Costa Rica’s rich diversity of species and plants, as well as its different climates and ecosystems.

The aforementioned volcanic islands of prehistoric times are still present in present-day Costa Rica – they are the mountain ranges that stretch across the center of the country. Costa Rica is known for its tropical forests and dream beaches, but the country’s mountains are at least as great a wonder.

Cerro Chirripó, at 3,820 meters, is the highest mountain in the country.

By comparison, Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze, is just 2962 meters.

The volcanic soils surrounding the mountains contribute in large part to the lush plant life found throughout Costa Rica. Combined with the tropical climate, this leads to a variety of different ecosystems – an incredible 12 in all!

For a country that makes up just 0.03 percent of the world’s total land mass, an incredible number. These range from tropical forests, cool mountain cloud forests to mangroves, wetlands, tropical lowland rainforests and coral reefs. Each ecosystem is unique and incredibly rich in individual animal and plant species.